25.12.11

El ex peñista Zach Andrews, fichado y cortado por Los Angeles Lakers

Bradley's Zach Andrews signs with L.A. Lakers

(Bradley University) LOS ANGELES - Former Bradley Basketball center Zach Andrews (Sacramento, Calif./Cordova H.S.) has been signed by the Los Angeles Lakers, according to an announcement by the NBA franchise Friday.Andrews, who started his fifth professional season playing for the Lakers' NBA Development League affiliate Los Angeles D-Fenders, could become the 16th former Brave to play in the NBA. Per team policy, terms of Andrews' contract were not released by the Lakers, but he is wearing No. 21 in a media day interview on the Lakers official home page.If Andrews remains with the Lakers following training camp, he will become the second member of Bradley's 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 squad to play in the NBA. Center Patrick O'Bryant was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by Golden State and spent four seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, Boston and Toronto. O'Bryant is currently playing professionally in Greece.In addition, 1996 MVC Player of the Year Anthony Parker has played the last five seasons with the Toronto Raptors (2006-09) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-11) as part of an overall 8-year NBA career. Parker currently is an unsigned free agent.A 6-foot-8 center who transferred to Bradley from Yuba College, Andrews helped the Braves to consecutive 22-win seasons, the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and the second round of the 2007 NIT. Andrews set Bradley's career record for field goal percentage (.621) and averaged 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in 67 career games at Bradley from 2005-07.Andrews struggled with a knee injury in his first season as a pro, playing in Spain, Bosnia and Turkey during the 2007-08 season. Despite playing only 14 games with his third team, Genc Banvitliler in Turkey's second division, Andrews earned Eurobasket.com honorable mention all-league honors after averaging 11.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in 2007-08.He added honorable mention all-league notice in Spain's LEB Bronze division in 2008-09 and second-team all-league honors in Spain's LEB Silver division in 2009-10, when he also was named to the Eurobasket.com Spanish LEB Silver All-Imports Team. Andrews played in the Japanese BJ League in 2010-11, before signing with the NBA D- League this fall.Andrews started all eight games he played for the LA D-Fenders before signing with the Lakers. In those eight games, Andrews averaged 11.1 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 60.3 percent from the field.The Lakers will play two preseason games versus their Staples Center co-tenants, Los Angeles Clippers, Dec. 19 and Dec. 21 before opening the regular season on Christmas Day at home against the Chicago Bulls.

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived Zach Andrews, Chris Daniels, Gerald Green, Elijah Millsap and Malcolm Thomas, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.Andrews, a 6-8 forward out of Bradley, who made the Los Angeles D-Fenders’ roster earlier this year as an NBA Development League local tryout player, averaged 11.1 points (.603 FG%) and 8.9 rebounds in eight games (all starts) for the D-Fenders this season.Daniels, a 7-0, 265 pound center out of Texas A&M-Corpus Christie (2008), was selected in the first round (9th overall) of the 2011 NBA Development League Draft by the Erie BayHawks. In five D-League games this season, Daniels averaged 16.2 points (.517 FG%), 11.4 rebounds and 2.20 blocks in 32.2 minutes.Green, a four-year NBA veteran originally selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (18th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft, has appeared in 181 NBA games (41 starts) for the Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, posting career averages of 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 16.0 minutes.Millsap, the younger brother of Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap and an early entry candidate for the 2010 NBA Draft after his junior season at Alabama-Birmingham, was acquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders in a trade with the Tulsa 66ers earlier this year, and averaged 23.2 points (.510 FG%, .526 3FG%), 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.50 steals in six NBA Development League games with the D-Fenders this season.Thomas, a 6-9 forward out of San Diego State, helped lead the Aztecs to an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance last season, averaging 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.02 blocks in 30.4 minutes. Assigned to the D-Fenders on December 17, Thomas tallied 13 points (5-7 FG), 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 38 minutes before being recalled by the Lakers the next day.The Lakers roster now stands at 15 players.